Adjustable mechanical price marker



Feb. 12, 1952 R AlLES ADJUSTABLE MECHANICAL PRICE MARKER Filed July 2, 1948 3: fi n W 1* 6 F IN V E To R.

LAWRENCE H, s} B Y;

19 7 IT O 1 NH any desired price.

Patented Feb. 12, 1952 OFFICE ADJUSTABLE MECHANICAL PRICE MARKER "flawrence R. Ailes, Connersville, Ind; I 7 Application ulia 194s, serial'No; asisio r10 Claims.

The primary object-oi thepre'sent invention is to provide a device usable'primarily in'retail stores such as grocery stores, drugstores, hardware stores; and the like, and particularlyin those stores in which the customer is expected to help-himself from the shelves. 'It i's customary toattach mounting'brackets to the forward edges of shelves of such stores, such brackets being of such character as to receive small cardboard tickets, each bearing a numeral; and not only is the taskof keeping the price markings always currenta very arduous one, but also storekeep'ers experiencedifiiculty in maintaining a stock of individually-numberedtickets for such use, and

keepingthe stock of suchticketsin proper order for use. The'device of the present invention,

to which I prefer to refer as an adjustable mechanical price marker, may be mounted in the standard bracket and is manipulable to display "It is self-contained and eliminates "the necessity {for maintaining and manipulating a stock'of individual tickets.

According to:mylnventiomthedevice is of such character that it is readily mountable insthe .standardbracket, readily removable therefrom, readily manipulable by an authorized person to change the marking displayed thereby, and yet substantially protected-against manipulation by anunauthorized person.

Further objects ofthe invention will appear as the description proceeds.

ro. the accomplishment of the above'and r lated objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention' being called to the fact, however,

*tha tthe drawings areillustrative' only, and that change maybe made in-thespecificconstruction illustrated and-described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my automatic price marker supported in place upon a standard shelf -edge: bracket;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspectiveview of the device of my invention, parts being broken away for-clarity of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view of a fragment ofthe markenasseen' from the rear; and

Fig. 4 is. a rear elevationofmy invention, drawn to a reduced scale.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

it will beseen that my adjustable mechanical price marker comprises a housing indicated gen-- erally by the reference numeral I0 and including a body II consisting of a continuoussheet of any suitable material which. will preferably have a -substantial inherent-resiliency. I pres- (Cl. All-68) 2' 'ently believe that sheet steelof 26 gauge is the ='optimum materialifor the-sheet I I.

Thesheet I I is'bent to'substantiall-y U-shape to provide a curved base I2 and substantially parallel legs I3 and I4. The base I2 is curved about-an axis located substantially midway between the parallel legs I3 and I 4,and saidlegs project substantially beyond .such' axis. The leg 13 terminates in an upwardly turned flange I5, while the leg =I4 terminates in av downturne'd :flange It, said :flanges being receivable in the .upper andlower channels l'l and H of a standard shelf-edge bracket-I8. An endplate I 9, have ingian upper-flange20 overlapping the edge of 15 edge of the leg l 4,-isassembled with one-end of the leg. I3" and a'lower fiangefil overlappin the the sheet I'I,-said end plate havinga radiused portion 22 which is substantially coincident with the base I2 of the sheet II; and a similar end plate-23-is provided with flanges 24 and 25 overlapping) the opposite edges of the legs I3 and. If desired, the end plates I9 and 23 may be integral with the sheet I'I It will beseenthat, the flanges 20, 2-1, '24 and. 25 oooperate with the legs I3 and I4 to limit separation thereof, while nothing except the inherent resiliency of the sheet 'II: restrainssaid legs against movement toward each'other. Thus, the'housinglfl maybe readily mounted in a bracket of thecharacterindicated at l8, byexerting pressure against the legs I3 and I4 to "bringthe flanges I5 and I6 toward each other su'ificiently to permit them to pass the overhanging flanges of the channels I1 and 11.,

then moving the flanges I5. and I6 into-registry with said channels, and releasin suchpressure to permit, the inherent; resiliency of the sheet II to force theflanges-IS and I6 into the channels I1 and I14. The-housing II) will thereby be retained in position unless and until the legs I'Sand Mareagainsqueezed together tofmove the flanges I5 and I6 from the channels I! and-Hf. j

The curved base 12 0f the sheet ;II is formed withea-plurality'of--axially spaced open windows =26, 21 and- 28, andsli'prefer to form those windows byslitting the metalat points midway between the axially spaced edges of each window, and

along the axially extending edges ofeach window, and then bending themetalof thesheet II inwardlyto provide'sthe-ears '29, 30,31,142, 331and 1:34. ,,'I hus,"the'axially spacededges of each win- -'d'owxare guarded by substantially parallel, ears projecting generally in the directiontofiprojection of the legs "I3 -a'nd I4, but terminatingshcrt 1 of theaxis 'of 'curvatureaof 1thebase :I 2;

:'A-,journal element 35 is ='supported in :the end plates |9 and 23 with its axis coincident with the axis of curvature of the base l2; and I prefer to mount said journal element in such a manner that it will be nonrotatable with respect to the end plates. Any suitable means of accomplishing this purpose may be used. Independently rotatably mounted upon said journal element, I provide a plurality of wheels, equal in number to the number of windows in the base |2 of the housing, each wheel being positioned in axial registry with one of said windows. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, I provide three windows and three wheels, indicated generally by the reference numerals 36, 31 and 38, respectively. The wheels are identical in construction, and therefore the specific details of only one will be described.

The dimensions of a device of the character here under consideration are, of course, limited by the environment in which the device is to be used. In order that the device may not project substantially above and/or below the surface of a standard store shelf, it is essential that its vertical dimension shall not exceed 2". Obviously, when the device is used as a price marker, it is essential that it be so constructed that any one of ten numerals may be displayed through each of the windows 26, 21 and 28. Since the vertical dimension of the housing I may not exceed 2",

it will be obvious that the external radius of each wheel must be less than 1". The circumference of a wheel having a radius of /16 is approximately 5 and /1s. If ten numerals are to be arranged upon the periphery of a wheel having a radius of /16", each numeral would have to be not more than high, with a spacing of less than /8 between numerals. Experience indicates that markings of the character here under consideration must be made up of numerals having a height of at least It follows that it is not practical to try to arrange ten numerals about the circumference of a wheel small enough to be usable in the environment for which my invention is adapted.

Therefore, each wheel 36, 31 and 38 comprises a primary element 39 having a series of numerals arranged upon its periphery; and a secondary element 4| frictionally sleeved upon the external periphery of the primary element for rotation relative thereto, and bearing a series of numerals 42 upon its external periphery. The element 4| is'generally opaque but, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is interrupted to provide a. window 43. It will be obvious that, alternatively, the element 4| could be continuous, opaque throughout its major extent, but provided with a transparent section corresponding to the interruption in the illustrated embodiment, to provide a window through which any selected one of the indicia 40 might be exposed to view.

Six numerals of the series from 0 through 9 are arranged upon the periphery of the primary element 39. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the radius of the primary element is 'V Thus, each numeral on the circumference of said element 39 may be 78 high, with a spacing of slightly more than :52" between numerals. The remaining four numerals of the series are arranged about the external circumference of the element 4|. Each numeral on the element 4| is, likewise 'Ve" high; and it will be clear that there may be a spacing of nearly between the numerals of that series.

Since each of the wheels 36, 31 and 38 registers with one of the windows 26, 21 or 28, and since the axial extent of each wheel is substantially equal to the axial extent of the corresponding window, it will be apparent that each wheel is retained, against substantial axial movement upon the journal element 35, by its engagement between the ears guarding its associated window. Thus the cars 29 and 30 will prevent substantial axial movement in either direction of the wheel 36, while the ears 3| and 32 and the ears 33 and 34 cooperate similarly with the wheels 31 and 39,

respectively.

The element 4| of each wheel is provided with a laterally extending finger 44 whose path is intersected by one of the ears cooperating with the corresponding wheel. The finger 44 is so arranged with respect to the window 43 that, when the finger 44 engages one edge of the cooperating ear, the window 43 will register with the associated window in the sheet ll, thereby exposing a portion of the circumference of the element 39 to view through the associated window in the housing. Additionally, the cooperation of the finger 44 with its associated ear facilitates manipulation of the element 39 relative to the element 4|. That is, with the wheel 36 in the position in which it is illustrated in Fig. 2, an authorized person, having removed the housing ID from the bracket l8, may grasp the element 39, from the rear end of the housing In, and shift the same in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, while the element 4| is held against corresponding rotation by the finger 44 engaging the car 30, to expose, through the window 26, any one of the numerals on the circumference of the element 39. To bring one of the numerals 42 on the element 4| into registry with the window 26, the wheel 36 will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction from the position illustrated in Fig. 2.

In order to guard against unauthorized manipulation of the wheels, I prefer to close the windows 26, 21 and 28 by means of a transparent element 45. Preferably, that element will be a sheet of Celluloid or other flexible, transparent, plastic material which will inherently conform to the shape of a surface against which it is pressed. The sheet 45 is provided with a plurality of slots 46, one for registry with each of the ears 29, 30, 3|, 32, 33 and 34, and is pressed against the inner surface of the base l2 before assembly therewith of the wheels 36, 31 and 3B and the journal element 35. The sheet 45 will, of course, be retained in position by the penetration of said ears through said slots.

Alternatively, of course, the sheet 45 may be a non-flexible sheet suitably contoured to conform to the inner surface of the base I2.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a housing including a generally U-shaped resilient sheet comprising a curved base and a pair of substantially parallel legs each terminating in a flange projecting away from the companion leg, the curved base of said sheet being provided with window means, end plates associated with said sheet, each end plate being integrally attached to said base but loosewith respect to at least one of said legs and further being provided with meanscooperating with said legs to limit separation of said legs without limiting movement of said legs toward each other, journal means sup,- ported in said housing and extending past said window means, and a wheel mounted on said journal means for rotation about the axis thereof and in registry with said window means, said and extending past said window means, and a" wheel mounted on said journal means for rotation about the axis thereof and in registry with said window means, said wheel carrying indicia to be viewed through said window means, said wheel further comprising a drum element bearing indicia on its periphery and a sleeve element bearing indicia on its external periphery and sleeved on said drum element with its internal surface frictionally engaging, and solely supported on, the periphery of said drum element for rotation relative thereto about said axis, said sleeve element being generally opaque but being provided with a window therein permitting exposure therethrough of any selected one of the indicia on said drum element.

3. In a device of the class described, a sheet of material having a generally U-shaped form to provide a base curved about an axis located substantially midway between the legs of the U and between said base and the ends of said legs, said base being provided with a plurality of openings therethrough spaced longitudinally of said axis, an integral ear located at each longi-- tudinal boundary of each opening and projecting generally in the direction of projection of said legs but terminating short of said axis, a

journal element mounted on an axis coincident with said first-named axis, and a plurality of wheels mounted on said journal element for independent rotation about said axis, said wheels being equal in number to said openings and each being positioned in registry with one of said openings, the ears associated with each opening cooperating with the associated wheel to retain the same against substantial axial movement,

and each wheel bearing on its periphery a series of indicia selectively exposable through its associated window.

4. The device of claim 3 in which each leg.

terminates in a flange angularly related to its leg and projecting away from the other leg, and

including end plates cooperatively associated with said sheet, each end plate having a portion engageable with each leg to limit separation of said legs without interfering with movement or said legs toward each other.

5. The device of claim 4 in which said journal element is fixedly supported in said end plates.

6. The device of claim 3 including a flexible sheet of transparent material mounted on that surface of said base adjacent said wheels, closing said windows, and provided with a slot for each iii! of said ears, said ears penetrating said slots to support said transparent sheet in position.

7. The device of claim 3 including a sheet of transparent material, curved upon an axis c'oincident with the axis of curvature of said base and having an external radius substantially equal to the internal radius of said base, said transparent sheet being provided with a slot for each of said ears and being mounted with its outer surface substantially in contact with the inner surface of said base to close said windows, said ears penetrating said slots to support said transparent sheet in such position.

8. The device of claim 7 in which each of said wheels comprises a drum element bearing indicia on its periphery and a sleeve element bearing indicia on its external periphery and sleeved on said drum element with its internal surface frictionally engaging, and solely supported on, the periphery of said drum element for rotation relative thereto about said axis, said sleeve element being generally opaque but being provided with a window therein permitting exposure therethrough of any selected one of the indicia on said drum element.

9. The device of claim 8 in which the sleeve element of each wheel is provided with a finger whose path intersects one of the ears of the base window with which said wheel is associated, said finger being so related to the window in said wheel element that, when said finger is engaged with one edge of said ear, the window in said wheel element will register with the associated base window.

10. For use in a price indicating device or the like, a wheel comprising a drum element bearing indicia on its periphery and a sleeve element bearing indicia on its external periphery and sleeved on said drum element with its internal surface frictionally engaging, and solely supported on, the periphery of said drum element for rotation relative thereto about the common axis of said elements, said sleeve element being generally opaque but being provided with a window therein permitting exposure therethrough of any selected one of the indicia on said drum element.

LAWRENCE R. AILES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 630,855 Brooks Aug. 15, 1899 955,200 Quackenboss Apr. 19, 1910 1,350,114 Rice Aug. 17, 1920 1,483,794 Garland Feb. 12, 1924 1,518,063 Gottfried Dec. 2, 1924 1,711,222 Bronner Apr. 30, 1929 2,279,836 McMullin Apr. 14, 1942 

